Screen rooms
Recommendations for a portable screen room?
Forum Discussion
I actually own 2 screen rooms and have used them in several situations. The following in what I have learned:
Free standing - more portability - can be set up away from camper. Mine, a First Up, will take about 20 minutes to set up by the time the screen walls are attached. A ground cloth/mat is best and if it is just slightly larger than the footprint of the room, the mat can be curved up against the inside of the screen walls getting a better seal to the ground and allowing less bugs to enter.
Attached screen room- nice especially if you have a small camper. Practically doubles the interior space. Set up time is about 30 minutes. Use a ground cloth/mat for a comfortable floor. If you have a smooth side camper you can achieve a pretty good seal against the walls but if your camper is aluminum siding it is very difficult to get a bug free seal.
Both styles have zippered doors which is where the downside to portable screen rooms lies. Multiple trips in an out will almost assure lots of opportunities for the bugs to enter. Carrying food or drinks requires you to set them down and use two hands to zip open and then zip closed. Not the best situation for kids who are active.
The attached screen room can be a nuisance also. Think about how many times you go in and out the camper and imagine stopping to zip and unzip each time. If your camper has two entry doors, the screen room can be sized to cover only one of the doors and not the other allowing entrance to the screen room through one door and the outside through another. This would require a shorter screen room than the length of your entire awning and a awning rafter (awning rafter) to be placed at one end of the room.
The camper I used with the attached screen room did not have two entry doors (Jayco 19BH) and consequently I made an entry screen door from a lightweight plastic screen door with a PVC frame and velcro to hold closed. This made exit/entry much easier.
Neither of these options are perfect but if it allows you to enjoy the outdoors during bug season, they are worth it.
Free standing - more portability - can be set up away from camper. Mine, a First Up, will take about 20 minutes to set up by the time the screen walls are attached. A ground cloth/mat is best and if it is just slightly larger than the footprint of the room, the mat can be curved up against the inside of the screen walls getting a better seal to the ground and allowing less bugs to enter.
Attached screen room- nice especially if you have a small camper. Practically doubles the interior space. Set up time is about 30 minutes. Use a ground cloth/mat for a comfortable floor. If you have a smooth side camper you can achieve a pretty good seal against the walls but if your camper is aluminum siding it is very difficult to get a bug free seal.
Both styles have zippered doors which is where the downside to portable screen rooms lies. Multiple trips in an out will almost assure lots of opportunities for the bugs to enter. Carrying food or drinks requires you to set them down and use two hands to zip open and then zip closed. Not the best situation for kids who are active.
The attached screen room can be a nuisance also. Think about how many times you go in and out the camper and imagine stopping to zip and unzip each time. If your camper has two entry doors, the screen room can be sized to cover only one of the doors and not the other allowing entrance to the screen room through one door and the outside through another. This would require a shorter screen room than the length of your entire awning and a awning rafter (awning rafter) to be placed at one end of the room.
The camper I used with the attached screen room did not have two entry doors (Jayco 19BH) and consequently I made an entry screen door from a lightweight plastic screen door with a PVC frame and velcro to hold closed. This made exit/entry much easier.
Neither of these options are perfect but if it allows you to enjoy the outdoors during bug season, they are worth it.
